Communication terminals, such as desk top terminals, personal terminals and personal workstations, are typically arranged to allow the user to create a personal telephone directory, which can be displayed on the terminal screen. Names and associated telephone numbers inputted by the user are typically displayed in alphabetical order by a terminal directory program. To "look up" a particular telephone number, the user types in the name, or a portion thereof, associated with tee sought-after telephone number, using a terminal keyboard. The terminal directory program then searches a telephone directory stored in terminal memory for a match between the inputted letters and/or characters and those stored in a directory name field. When the program "finds" a match, it displays the name and sought-after telephone number.
However, if the user misspells the name, or if the directory contains a plurality of names having the same surname, it is possible that the displayed name and telephone number will not be the one sought by the user. Consequently, the user either tries to locate the soughtafter telephone number by inputting a different spelling of the name or by scrolling through the directory.
We have recognized that such prior directory arrangements are not efficient from the standpoint that they require the user to either type in a name to obtain the sought-after telephone number or to scroll through a directory which may contain a large number of entries and from the standpoint that the telephone number that is eventually displayed may not be the sought-after number.